Tag: referendum

Referendum changes still awaiting action in House committee

The chairman of the election law subcommittee handling controversial changes to the referendum and petition process said Tuesday that the bill isn’t dead, despite the fact that it awaits action by the subcommittee and would need numerous amendments to make it palatable to stakeholders. But with just 13 days left in the 90-day session, Election Law Subcommittee Chairman Jon Cardin, D-Baltimore County, conceded, “The chances of it moving have decreased.”

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Proposed new referendum requirements will be amended, election law subcommittee chair Cardin says

The Referendum Integrity Act, a bill that’s been lambasted as voter suppression, contains numerous clauses that could potentially disqualify thousands of online petition signature pages before they are even signed. But the chairman of the subcommittee in charge of HB493, Del. Jon Cardin, who is also a co-sponsor, says his goal in reforming petition legislation is not to make the process more difficult.

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Online petition drives have made referendums easier

Maryland voters in November may face as many as three questions on the ballot to overturn laws passed by the General Assembly. Opponents of the third measure — a gerrymandered congressional district plan — are nearly halfway to reaching the signatures needed with a week left to go.

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Bill would close loopholes in referendum law

With the state’s referendum laws in the spotlight for the first time in two decades, some legislators hope to close weaknesses in the referendum process that can open the door to fraud.

The House Ways and Means Committee heard testimony on a bill Wednesday that would adopt several measures implemented in other states to help ensure the validity of referendum petitions. We’ve got a story and a podcast.

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Appeal of Friday’s tuition referendum ruling will be ‘frivolous,’ petition leader says

Circuit Court Judge Ronald Silkworth ruled Friday that a referendum to challenge a new law granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants can go forward on this November’s ballot. The attorney for Casa de Maryland said he will appeal, but the petition leader said the appeals court will uphold the judge’s ruling, and the petition will be on the November ballot.

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Casa drops challenge to signatures in Dream Act referendum

Casa de Maryland, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to halt a state referendum on illegal immigrants receiving in-state college tuition, will no longer challenge the validity or number of petition signatures approved by the State Board of Elections.
Instead, it will focus solely on the argument that Dream Act legislation is an appropriations bill, thus disqualifying it from being subject to referendum.

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